Case or box



Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL H. WISMER, 0F PALMYBA, AND JOHN HENRY THAIDIGSMAN, OF DELANCO,

NEW4 JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION 0F NEW JERSEY.

CASE OR BOX.

Application filed August 21, 1924. Serial No. 733,285.

Our invention relates to cases and boxes adapted to contain and hold until desired 'for use, small articles, such as talking machine styli and other similar articles which are liable to be injured or damaged before heilig used it' they are not properly protected.

One of the objects ot' our invention is to provide a relatively strong bokY or container with a holder for small articles, such as talking machine styli, said holder being mounted on the pintle of the hinge between the box proper and the lid, in such a manner that upon o]')ening the lid, the holder is automatically swung upwardly away from the bottom of the box into an inclined position where the contents of the holder are accessible for withdrawal from the holder and so constructed that any liability ot' injuring the article iii witlulrawingthe same from the holder is obviated.

A further object ol' the invention is to proM vide a holder in which the stylus is naturally and must be drawn straight-out ot' the holder; and to provide a guideway in the holder in which the stylus or similar article rests and is frictionally held and trom which it is readily withdrawn fitta-ut. bending or twisting.

A further object ot' the invention is to prot ide a spring member preferably integral with the holder and which presses over a substantial port-ion ot tbe length of the shank ot' the stylus so that the stylus is frictionally held in and is guided by said groove until the stylus is substantially clear ot the holder.

A further object o'l' the invent ion is to provide a holder in which any substantial sidewise or lateral movement ot' the shank of the stylus with respect to the holder and any movement of the stylus therein by which the delicate point. would be. brought into engagement'. with a rigid portion ot the holder and injured is prevented.

A further object ot' the invention is to provide a holder with a depression in which the small tungsten tip of a talking machine stylus is held in-a fixed position in the holder, out of contact with the holder and on the underside of the holder below the glane of the surface on either side of the epression so that the tip of the stylus is not liable to be caught upon any object and" consequently bent: or otherwise iuiured.

A further object ol the invention is to construct a holder wherein a smooth uniform txlctional grip on the stylus contained in the holder may he easily provided; and to provide a holder which has a pleasing attractive finished appearance, and so designed and arranged that uniform quantity production is possible as a manufacturing proposition.

Further objects of the` invention will appear in the specification and claims below.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which the same reference characters are employed throughout the various views to designate the same parts,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the container with the lid open.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the lid closed, a part ot' the lid beingfbroken away; however, to show the holder and a part ot' one ot' the resilient fingers or springs of the holder broken away to show how the stylus is held therein;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view on Athe line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the top side of 'the holder detached from the other parts ot' the container and with parts broken awav to show the construction thereof; u

Fig. 6 is a similar plan view ot the bot.- tom side of the holder or carrier with parts also broken away to make the construction clear;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View on the line 7-7 ot-` Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a similar view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 4 but with the carrier empty;

Fig. 10 is a top plan View of the stamt ing or blank from which the holder .is made completed but for the bending up and over of the spring lingers and the ceiling of the hinge projection' Fig. l1 is a vertical sectional View on the line 1l--11 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a .side elevational view 'on an enlarged scale, of a stylus for which the case and holder are particularly adapted (ifi and showing the rounded surface thereof, adjacent the tip, abuttingagainst thestop.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a convenient box or container for st 1i for use in connection with sound repro ucing machines and particularly for those styli the minute record engaging tips of which are made or composed of a short length of tungsten wire or similar material rigidly secured to and rojecting from the tapered end of a steel s ank. These tungsten tips are easil bent if subjected to careless handlin an. when bent, the stylus 1s rendered un t for reproducing sound from a sound record tablet. The delicate tips should protrude straight out from the end of the stylus and it is the object of the present invention to provide a carrier which will protect the ti s of such styli until such time as they may lie required for use. lVith this in view, we provide a relatively stiff box, preferably stam ed up out of a sheet of metal and rovide with a carrier or container in whic the styli may be securely held, and protected from injury when not in use, and from which they may be readily withdrawn for use without injuring the tip in the act of withdrawing it-from the holder, or in inserting it back into the holder.

The box or receptacle proper` is Preferably made of sheet metal and may consist of tivo parts, the box or box member 1 and the lid or lid member 2, hinged together along one edge of each of said members and preferably so that the fiange of the lid member 2 fits over the edge of the box member l. The terms' lid and box are, however, relative terms for the saidy parts may be of any appropriate size, shape and proportion with respect to each other, and the carriei or holder 3 coo erating therewith in the manner to be described below may be made to swing with either the lid or the box proper.

The rear wall of the box may be provided with two vhinge members 4-4 adapted to surround a pintle 5 and the rear Wall of the lid may` also and preferably is provided with two hinge members (3-46 also adapted to sui'- round the pintle 5. The rear edge of the carrier or holder 3 may be similarly provided with a hinge member 7 adapted to fit around the pintle 5.

Preferably, the hinge members 6-6 of the lid and the hinge member 7 of the carrier or holder tightly or snugly embrace the pintle 5, While the pintle 5 is preferably freely revolvable in the hinge members 4-4 of the box so that when thelid 2 is raised from the box 1, the pintle turns with the lid 'in the bearings provided by the hinge members 4 on the box, and the carrier 3, the hinge member 7 of which also tightly frictionally engaging the pintle, also turns with the cover or lid and the pintle, and the free swinging edge of the holder rises to a position clear of the top edge of the box 1 so that the Styli carried thereby are accessible for withdrawal from the holder. Y

The holder 3 is preferably an integral piece of metal stamped or cut and .shaped out of a sheet of metal. The shaped blank completed except as to the bending of the projecting fingers upwardly and over parallel to the top side of the blank and the shaping of the hinge member, is shown in Fig. 10 and consists of a flat main portion 8 having a projection 7 on the rear edge thereofl adapted to be later bent into the cylindrical hinge member 7 to tightly frictionally engage the pintle 5. The opposite or front edge of the main portion of the blank 8 is provided with a series of like equally spaced projectng fingers 9 so that when the main portion 8 is bent along the line 10-10, these fingers 9 will form the resilient springs of the finished carrier extending substantially parallel to the top surface of the main portion 8.

The main or body portion 8 is also preferably provided on its to side with a series of channels 11 preferaby semicircular in transverse cross-section, each channel 11 being in axial alinement with a finger 9 respectively. Each groove or channel 11 terminates in holes or openings 12, 13, the centers of the openings 12 being arranged preferably on the line 10-10 of the bend to be made in the blank, or conversely the row of openings are so disposed in the main portion 8 as to provide a suitable line on which that part having the fingers 9 may be bent over. On the opposite side of the series of holes 13 is a series of short channels 14 preferably semicircular iii cross-section and of smaller diameter than the grooves or channels 11. The said channels 14 are preferably pressed into the underside of thc blank, and are disposed in axial allinement each With a groove or channel 11 respectively of the blank.

lVhen the fingers 9 are bent upwardly and over through substantially 180 With the center of the bend on the line 10-10 shown in Fig. 10, the openings 12 will then be holes or openings 12 through the curved portion 15 connecting the body portion 8 with the spring fingers 9-9 and the centers of these openings 12 will be substantially in axial alineinent with the axes of the grooves or channels 11-14. The outer ends 9' of the spring fingers 9 are preferably curved slightly upwardly away from the main or body portion 8, but the main portion thereof will be substantially parallel to the upper face of the inain or body portion 8 particularly after the stylus 16 is inserted into the holder through the opening 12. When so inserted into the holder, the underside of the spring fingers 9 will bear evenly over a substantial portion of the length ofthe shank of the stylus. l

A wire-tipped tungsten stylus 16, for

which the present holder is particularly adapted, is shown in Fig. 12 and comprises a shank portion 17, a tapered tip-holding portion 18 and a fine tungsten-wire recordengaging tip 19, rigidly secured 'to the end of the tapered end 18. It is this tip 19 which is fully protected from injury by being positioned in one of the small channels 14. Because the holes 12 are at the front edge of the carrier 3, andbecause the Shanks of the styli held therein protrude from the edge of the carrier, and because of the fact that the appealance of the holder so plainly indicates the positionY of the Stylus with respect to the holder, the usermost naturally inserts the styli straight into the holes 12 and draws theln straight out of them. A stylus being inserted is guided by the channels 11 in which it is quitetrmly held by the spring fingers 9, and finally the blunt rounded surface 18', closely adjacent t-he fine wire tip 19 comes into contact with the rigid abutment- 20 formed at the end of the small channel 14 and the wall of the hole or opening 13, and further inward .movement of the stylus is thus stopped. It can be ushed no further into the holder, and in tiis position, the other end of .theI shank 17 pro'ects outwardly from the swinging or free e e of the holder through the opening 12, a istance sufficient to permit it to be readily grasped for Withdrawal.

The holder attached, as above described, to the pintle 5 of the box, may be filled with as many styli as there are grooves 11 provided in theholder 3 and when the box is closed, the needles will be securely held in the holder and protected from accidental injury. lVhen one wishes to use a stylus for reproducing sound with a talking machine, the lid is opened, and in opening the lid, the holder or carrier automatically swings with the lid and pintle upwardly bringing the free edge of the holder well above the top edge of the box until the upward movement of the holder is arrested by reason of the engagement of the rear edge 8 of the holder with the rear wall of the box, thus bringing the projecting ends of the shank 17 of the. Styli to a position where they are acces.-ible for withdrawal from the carrier. But it is to be here noted that a stylus must be withdrawn straight out of the carrier in a direction coincident with the axis of the stylus, because the inner wall of the channel 11 fits closely around the Shanks of the styli, be-

cause the fingers 9 hold the styli pressed` down into the groove or channel 11, and because the diameter of the opening 12 is but slightly larger than the diameter of the shank of the styli. These features of construction actually prevent the user from moving the stylus laterally or transversely in such a manner as to bring the fine reproducing tip 19 into engagement with any rigid part. of the holder. It is also to be observed that the diameter of the grooves or channels 14 are substantially less than the diameters of the Shanks of the styli and preferabl but a little greater than the diameter o the tips 19 so that twhen the stylus` is completely inserted in the holder. th:` tip 19 is out ot' contact with anything and is protected by the thickness of the material of the holder, and the stop 20 is engaged by the blunt rounded surface 1S of the tapered end 18 of the stylus. The tip '19 is on the underside of the holder 3 and in the channel 14 of the holder. No fabric or any other thing can, therefore, easily catch on or strike against theslcnder reproducing tip of the stylus once it is properly inserted in the holder. ltis protected on the upper side by the thickness of the holderand on the lower or under side by the box in which the holler is mounted.

The holders, as above described, are relatively easy to manufacture in large quantities. They may ber accurately stamped and pressed uniformly up into the shape above described and shown in the drawings. No rigid partof the holder can engage the reproducing tip of the stylus in either inserting or withdrawing the stylus from the holder. 'lhe styli are preferably so lirmly held in the holder that an appreciable amount of pull has to be exerted to withdraw a stylus from the holder so that when the stylus is released from the friction caused by thc pressure of the spring lingers 9 on the shanks, the hand of the user will jump or jerk slightly in the direction of the pull, and quickly withdraw the stylus clear of the holder. lt is diflicult to do anything other than to continue to draw thc stylus straight` out of the holder after having once started to withdraw it therefrom.

llaving thus described the invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a container for small articles, the combination of a box, a lid and a holder all pivoted together so that when the lid is opened the free edge of the holder swings above the edge of the box, said holder being provided with means to frictionally hold a small article with one end thereof project ing beyond the free edge of said holder and also with relatively rigid means to prevent the projecting end of said article from being substantially moved in a direction transversely to the axis of them-ticle.

2. In a. container for styli, the combination of a box, a lid and a holder pivotally mounted in said box and arranged so that when theglid is .lifted the free edge of said holder is automatically swung above the top .edge of said box, said holder being provided with means to hold a series of styli parallel and on one side of said holder with the ends of the shanks of said styli protruding beyond the free edge of said holder, and relatively rigid means to prevent the insertion or withdrawal of said styli from said holder in any direction except substantially axially of said stylus.

3. In a container for styli, the combination of a box having a hinge member on one edge thereof, a lid having a hinge member on one edge thereof, a carrier having a hinge member on one edge thereof and a pintle to which said hinge members are secured, said carrier being provided with a channel in one face thereof in which the shank of a stylus fits and with an alined channel on the opposite side of said carrier in which the tip or point of said stylus may be positioned out of contact with said carrier, and means to frictionally hold a stylus in said first-mentioned channel with the end of said stylus protruding beyond the free edge of said carrier.

4. In a container for styli, the combination of a box, a lid and a carrier all hinged together along one edge of each thereof so that by opening the lid the free edge of said carrier is swung upwardly out of said box, said carrier being provided with a channel in one face thereof in which the shank of a stylus fits, with a resilient spring over and extending substantially parallel to the said channel to press against a substantial part of the length of a stylus seated in Said groove to frictionally hold said stylus in said holder and with a channel on the opposite side of said carrier within which the tip or point of said stylus may be positioned out of contact with said carrier.

5. A holder for talking machine styli comprising a member provided with a channel in a side thereof in which a st lus is adapted to fit, with resilient means a apted to press agalnst and frictionally hold a stylus in said channel, and with an openin therethrough in axial alinement with the axis of said channel and through which said stylus is inserted into and withdrawn from said member, said opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the stylus, and the wall of said opening being operative to prevent any substantial transverse movement of the stylus in withdrawing the stylus from and inserting it into said channel through said open- A holder for talking machine styli comprising a member provided with a channel in a side thereof in which a stylus is adapted to tit, with resilient means adapted to press against and frictionally hold a stylus in said channel, with an opening therethrough in axial alinement with the axis of said channel and through which said stylus is inserted into and withdrawn from said member, said opening being Slightly larger than the diameter ot' the stylus, and the wall of said opening being operative to prevent any subtantial transverse movement of said stylus and with means against which the surface of the end of said stylus adjacent said tip abuts to limit the distance to which said Stylus may be inserted into said holder through Said opening.

7. A holder for talking machine styli comprising a member having a relatively flat surface provided with a channel, an edge of said member transverse to said channel being provided with a linger bent upwardly and over said flat surface'to extend substantially arallel thereto and to frictionally engage tlie top of a stylus l ing in said groove, the edge formed by Sai bent over portion having an opening therethrough in axial alinement with the axis of said channel and through which a stylus may be inserted into and may be withdrawn out of said groove.

8. A holder for talking machine Styli comprising a member having a relativel flat surface provided with a channel, an e ge of said member transverse to said channel being provided with a finger bent upwardly and over said fiat surface to extend substantially parallel thereto and to frictionally engage the top of a stylus lying in said o ening therethrough in axial alinement with the axis of said channel, said member being also provided with a transverse opening therethrough in which the inner end of said channel terminates, the opposite side of said member being provided with a small channel having its axis in alinement with the .axis of said first-mentioned channel and also terminating in said transverse opening, the bottom of said small channel being out of contact with the tip of a stylus seated in said first-mentioned channel, the edge of said transverse opening providing a shoulder at the end of said small channel to engagethe end of a stylus adjacent the tip or point thereof to limit the distance to which a stylus may be inserted into said first-mentioned channel. Y

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 19th day of August, 1924.

SAMUEL H. WISMER. JOHN HENRY THAIDIGSMAN. 

